


Interdepartmental

by ceaselesswatcher



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Crack Treated Seriously, Don’t copy to another site, Fantasizing, M/M, Masturbation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-11-13 20:33:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18038525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceaselesswatcher/pseuds/ceaselesswatcher
Summary: Iruka is a teacher at Konoha Elementary, and he loves his job. He just wishes he didn't have to be a substitute for so many P.E. classes. That's why he's thrilled when Kakashi Hatake, an eccentric and seemingly complex man, arrives to rid him of that responsibility.Iruka will just have to deal with the fact that over the course of an eventful couple of weeks, he falls in love with the man.





	1. Arrivals

After an excruciating day dealing with boisterous eleven year olds, Iruka could finally settle down at his classroom desk and relax...by grading tests. It was his fault he’d given them out -- he’d wanted to figure out how much his students had forgotten over the summer break, which had ended two weeks before. They’d all grumbled and complained but done the tests nonetheless, and Iruka was surprised at how good the results had turned out. A swell of pride warmed his chest.  _ His  _ students. Grading tests turned out to be more relaxing than he’d thought it would.

Momentarily lost in reveries, Iruka didn’t notice the knock that sounded from the window. He reached forward to grab another test, wondering whether Tsunade had managed to hire physical education staff yet -- you’d be surprised at the scarcity of gym teachers in Konoha, and Iruka didn’t want to substitute  _ yet again _  -- when there was another knock, this one succeeding to call his attention to a man peeking out from below the windowsill. 

His eyebrows drawn, Iruka’s gaze fixated on the strange sight in front of him. With white hair and a striking mask covering two thirds of his features, the crouched man was nothing but making a spectacle of himself. It didn’t help that his eyes were darting around, scanning the classroom, roving over Iruka and snapping back to their periphery, as if the man was looking out for something. He  _ was _ , by the obvious panic written on his face. Or at least the part that was visible to Iruka.

The situation was so perplexing it piqued his interest. It was infinitely more intriguing than trying to decipher incomprehensible handwriting…the teacher moved closer to the window.

There was something to be said about the man’s hair. It was sticking up in somewhat impossible ways, yet it looked soft and untouched by gel. Iruka’s fingers twitched with the sudden urge to touch it, and driven by this momentary impulse, he made a terrible decision. He cracked the window open slightly.

Iruka was not prepared for the smooth baritone that greeted him. “Oh god, please let me in,” the man said. “I’m being chased.”

“ _ Chased _ ,” Iruka stammered, “are you joking?”

“I wish I was, sensei,” said the man with the fluffy white hair. 

Iruka bristled at the honorific, heat rushing to his cheeks before he shook himself out of it. “And...why did you think rushing to a schoolyard while being chased by  _ whomever _ was a good idea?”

“Because I work here -- look, sensei, you can ask Tsunade about this later, I just really need to get inside.”

Iruka was pulled out from the depths of his confusion by a loud voice booming through the courtyard. “My Eternal Rival! I See You Have Resorted To Charming Hapless Teachers To Gain An Advantage In Our Most Youthful Of Races! You Will Not Outrun Me With This Trickery!”

The man with the white hair grimaced, now obviously agitated. He’d turned his head to look at a man dressed in a green spandex suit before quickly turning it back to Iruka with wide, pleading eyes. He pulled his mask down, revealing an attractive, pale face with thin, pink lips twisted in a grimace. Iruka’s eyes unconsciously drifted toward the mole right below them, and he distantly thought that the green spandexed man was right, Iruka  _ was _ being charmed against his will only to be used in the weird game these two were playing. 

Pushing insolent thoughts that he must be attracted to weirdness to the back of his head -- along with the thought telling him this attraction was only happening because he hadn’t gotten laid in over a year -- Iruka decided to make the second mistake that day, which was opening the window fully.

In no time at all, the white haired man had climbed through the windowsill and was towering the classroom with a wide grin on his face that did nothing to lessen the attractiveness of his features. Iruka looked away and cleared his throat.

“Tell me why the hell I just let you in.”

“So direct, sensei...because I’m irresistible?” The man’s grin stretched wider. “No, I suppose it’s because I told you I work here.”

“Yes…” Iruka furrowed his brow. So lost in the strangeness of it all, Iruka hadn’t realised he’d just broken one of the school’s main rules. Strangers were not allowed, and this man hadn’t shown any proof of actual employment other than having the knowledge of who Konoha Elementary’s principal was. Tsunade was going to  _ kill _ him.

“Ah, now that I have clearly won the race…” the man was saying.

“Were you racing your oddly garmented friend?”

The man chuckled. “I suppose you could say that. He threatened me into it by saying he’ll crush me in a bear hug every single day until one of us died if I didn’t race him to the school.”

“So you work here?” Iruka asked with narrowed eyes, wondering what the hell Tsunade was thinking hiring these people.

“Yes. I should introduce myself,” the man said, eyeing Iruka’s nameplate on the desk. “Me and my friend Guy, we’re the new gym teachers.” The man stretched his hand out. “I’m--”

“Kakashi!” Tsunade yelled, suddenly entering the classroom. “You brat, why are you terrorizing my teachers? It isn’t even your first day yet!” Iruka blanched, terrified by the way the woman seemed to materialize whenever something even remotely against her will was happening. “Why do you look like you came out of a bush?”

“Because I did,” Kakashi said, a blush lining his features. He was relaxed now, his previous straight posture replaced by a slouch and his grin turned lazy. 

“Your antics, I swear. Iruka, did he let himself in through the window?” Tsunade asked, and Iruka grit his teeth, torn between being honest but also terrified for his life if Tsunade found out the truth. His self-preservation instinct and his moral compass were waging a dangerous war inside of him.

Kakashi came to his rescue. “Does it matter? The point is, I’m here on time.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s more than I expected of you anyway,” said Tsunade, finally grinning. “Iruka, meet one of our new gym teachers, Kakashi Hatake. You can see how desperate I was by having to hire this buffoon.”

Iruka grimaced, trying for a smile. “It would be nice not having to be a substitute anymore on top of my regular schedule.”

Tsunade frowned. “Yes, that’s true… I’ve been overworking you, and you haven’t even complained. Kotetsu has been on my ass crying for a raise. Maybe I’ll give one to all of you, except for him...” her expression became feral. Iruka did  _ not _ want to get on her bad side. “But nah, then I’ll get myself into a mess with the higher ups. Those are much worse.” 

Tsunade moved toward the classroom door. “Kakashi, come with me. We need to discuss your schedule.” She left and Kakashi followed, but not before sending Iruka a wink and a quick, two-fingered salute. Iruka could still hear her retreating voice. “You raced Guy to the school, brat? Where is he then…”

Iruka blinked, needing a few moments to compose himself. So these were the new gym teachers?  _ I suppose the kids need some entertainment after all. _

* * *

When Iruka finished grading, a peculiar feeling still settled in his chest, he realised it was high time to head home. The sun was on a slow glide across the sky, September’s late summer atmosphere filling the air with a warmth that settled in his bones. A gentle breeze carded through his hair, and he took a deep breath.

Iruka was walking slowly, seemingly aimlessly, through the streets of Konoha. He barely noticed the greetings of the vendors who knew him and shot an airy smile in return. 

Maybe he could treat himself to some ramen this evening, he mused, and changed the direction toward Ichiraku’s. There were many ramen stands in Konoha, but this one always made the broth in such a way that reminded him of  _ home _ . A home long lost, but one that he held close to his heart nonetheless. Memories of his parents, whose unfortunate death in one of the bigger earthquakes that had hit Konoha was once a very deep and painful wound, surfaced every time he ate at Ichiraku’s. But many years had passed since then, and the boy Iruka was had turned into a man, who now wistfully remembered the bittersweet memories of his mother cooking ramen for him. 

There was something in the air, Iruka concluded. He wasn’t usually this mushy. Or maybe it was the strange new gym teachers Tsunade had hired that shook him and left him scatterbrained. His mind was still on the event from only three hours ago, the sight of them imprinted onto his brain. Kakashi Hatake and…Guy, were they? Iruka hadn’t caught the other man’s surname.

He hadn’t gotten an answer about the way they were dressed -- why Kakashi’s mask was there, and why Guy was wearing a green spandex -- why  _ both of them  _ had thought those were acceptable clothes to wear when you meet your new boss. But...it looked like Tsunade already knew both Kakashi and Guy. It was quite possible that she was used to that manner of dress from them, because there had been no surprise evident on her face. Only annoyance and faint amusement. 

Not only were their clothes odd, but Iruka wondered why Guy had forced Kakashi into playing chase with him...very unusual, the two of them. Iruka wasn’t very close-minded, and he was used to no small amount of weirdness -- he taught fifth graders, after all -- but they were grown men. It was  _ weird _ . Were they playing a prank on Tsunade? He made a mental note to ask her about it later.

Lost in his thoughts, the trip to Ichiraku’s felt short to Iruka and he’d arrived before he even knew it. He took in the familiar view of the stand, coated in a warm orange glow that stood out more and more as the sun was slowly setting. He walked up to it, greeting Teuchi, the owner, with a bright smile.

“Iruka! So good to see you. It’s been a while.”

He was served his ramen and promptly got lost in his thoughts again, letting them drift over his students, memories, Konoha itself...bad and good, meshed together, making up his life. Pleasant, but bitingly spicy. Just like his meal. 

For the second time that day, Iruka was broken out of his reveries by Kakashi’s arrival.

“Sensei,” Kakashi greeted him. “You know Ichiraku’s?”

Iruka was surprised when he turned his head to follow the warm voice. Kakashi wasn't wearing the mask anymore. He’d replaced his odd clothes with casual but comfortable attire, a navy blue sweatshirt and faded jeans hanging enticingly on his hips. His hair was still sticking out at upward angles, but it managed to look good. Iruka swallowed. He was even more attracted to the man when Kakashi wasn’t wearing a knock-off ninja outfit. 

It took no small amount of effort for Iruka to speak up without spluttering. “Ah, yes...I am a regular. You?”

“As am I,” Kakashi said and settled on one seat away from Iruka. Not too personal, but not stranger-like either. Iruka watched as the man ordered ramen and then turned to him. “What brings you here tonight?”

Iruka shrugged. “I felt like coming. The weather caused an introspective mood.”

Kakashi hummed in understanding. “We can agree on that,” he said, gazing into the distance. “Sorry about the way we met, Iruka-sensei. I suppose that was weird.”

“It was,” Iruka agreed with a nod. There was something about the way Kakashi was behaving that clashed with what Iruka had seen earlier that day. “Why were you two dressed that way?”

Kakashi’s lips spread into a gentle smile. “A nod to Tsunade. She knows us since we were in high school, and we did a play back then. Me and Guy were both playing these eccentric ninjas and got carried away with our characters. Now it’s a running gag... but my entry through your window had not been planned. I wonder what you think of me now.”

“I’m inclined to believe it takes more than one day to form an educated opinion of someone. I’ve known you for three hours, Kakashi-san.”

Kakashi grinned. “I suppose that’s true. Although, I’ve already formed a very pleasant opinion of  _ you _ , Iruka-sensei,” he said and leered, but his expression dissipated quickly, as if he caught himself.

“Did you speak of me with Tsunade-sama?” Iruka asked, choosing to ignore the subtle flirtation.

“She mentioned your hard work and dedication to being a teacher. Admirable,” Kakashi said on a nod. “She said I could learn some from you. She also mentioned that the workload will be immense, and that I should be grateful you hadn’t complained any sooner -- but she would have dragged me by my ears to help you anyway, pay or no pay.”

“So you’ll work full-time as physical education teachers with Guy?”

Kakashi nodded. “I know for a fact I’ll be staying. Money has been running short. Guy has his taijutsu dojo, and he gets a stable income from there, so I’m not sure about him.”

“I hope he does. I don’t want to spend one more day trying to rein those hellions in.” Iruka grinned. “That’s your job now!”

A low laugh rumbled from Kakashi, a deep and attractive sound to Iruka.  _ Man, _ it had been way too long since he’d gotten laid. But trying to pick up his new coworker, even if said coworker was already coming onto Iruka, was a mistake Iruka didn’t want to make a second time.

He was finished with his ramen, and he rummaged through his bag to pay for it, but Teuchi appeared and held up a hand. “No need to pay. On the house. You look like you need it. Both of you,” Teuchi said, gazing pointedly at Kakashi. Iruka wondered what that meant. He’d noticed Kakashi was different than earlier that day, but maybe the difference was even starker for someone who’d known him for a longer time. Teuchi was a shrewd judge of character -- he’d noticed the wistful mood Iruka had been in too.

_ Huh _ , Iruka thought,  _ my conversation with Kakashi really brought me out of it _ .

“Going home, sensei?” Kakashi said, standing up and stretching his legs. “Which way?”

Iruka did the same, pointing toward the direction of his apartment building. 

“Ah, so we’re going our separate ways. It was good to meet you, Iruka-sensei.”

“Likewise, Kakashi-san,” Iruka nodded. “I’ll see you at work.”

“I suppose you will,” Kakashi said cryptically and turned his back to Iruka, walking lazily. His white hair was a striking image against the fading glow of the setting sun.

* * *

The next day, Iruka watched as Naruto tried to throw the new transfer student, Sasuke, across the classroom. When it looked like he was about to succeed, the teacher intervened.

“Naruto! Let Sasuke go.” Naruto reluctantly let go of the raven haired boy but still glared daggers in his direction. 

“Not fair, Iruka-sensei! He's allowed to taunt me but I'm not allowed to respond?” Naruto bellowed, almost ready to pounce on Sasuke again when a smirk appeared on the boy's face in response to Naruto's complaints. 

“I'll speak with Sasuke after the class,” Iruka said and moved on with his lecture. 

Naruto and Sasuke had been at each other's throats ever since Sasuke was transferred, but it was especially bad today. Iruka had had to break up two of their fights before this one, one in the classroom and another one in the courtyard. He wondered whether it had something to do with the first class they'd had with Kakashi. According to today's teacher's lounge gossip, for his first class ever, Kakashi had decided to throw a tournament of sorts to get better acquainted with the kids. Evidently a bad idea, as it had caused these two to be even more competitive than usual. 

Iruka would possibly have to speak with Kakashi over this at some point. He ignored the little thrill that went through him at the prospect of seeing the man again. This was just  _ work _ . Work only. No ulterior motives whatsoever. 

Sasuke approached Iruka as the class drew to a close. “Iruka-sensei. You wanted to speak with me?” 

“Yes, Sasuke-kun.” Iruka waited until the room mostly cleared out, making sure to send a glare Naruto's way -- the boy had tried to stick around and eavesdrop -- then moved closer to Sasuke, sitting in a chair adjacent to where he was standing. “You do realize whatever is going on between you and Naruto has to stop. I mean in general, but most pressing, you are not allowed to do this on school grounds. I care about all of you, I don't want you to get hurt, and what you do outside of school grounds is not my business. But while you're here, you have to promise me not to rile him up on purpose.” Iruka paused, noting the dissatisfied expression on Sasuke's face. “Try not to respond to him either. But you can keep your rivalry, if you really must,” he said, smiling gently. 

Sasuke looked stunned for a moment, his mask slipping before he composed himself again.  _ Really _ scary stuff on an eleven year old's face. “Alright, Iruka-sensei. I'll do my best,” he said and nodded before picking up his bag and leaving the room. 

Iruka sighed.  _ Kids _ . 

* * *

Kotetsu was trying to haul Iruka out of the classroom at the end of the school day.

“Iruka, it's been like seven years since we went out, man. It's Friday. Izumo and Anko miss you.”

“How the hell does Izumo miss me, he's literally right outside the door,” Iruka grumbled, looking at Izumo peeking from behind the door frame. 

Kotetsu grinned sheepishly. “Well, he's too shy to tell you so.” Iruka rolled his eyes. “But really, Anko does miss you.”

“I'm surprised she hasn't come breaking down my front door yet.”

“That's all thanks to my valiant efforts,” Kotetsu said, still trying to pull Iruka away from his desk. “Come on. You'll rot at this place. We'll have to bury you and you'll still be writing up teaching plans and grading tests.”

Iruka grumbled but stood up anyway, stashing his stack of papers in the desk and locking it before letting Kotetsu lead him to the door. “Just so you know, you owe me a favor.” 

“I owe you a favor for making you have a life? Please, it's the other way around,” snorted Kotetsu, winking at Izumo who'd just pushed himself off from the wall he'd been leaning on. 

They climbed into Izumo's car and went to pick up Anko, who was ecstatic at the prospect of seeing Iruka. 

“So we're gonna get hammered or what?” she asked, trying to grab Iruka's head and rub it without success. “We miss ya, Iru-kun.” He glared at her but softened his expression soon enough, giving her a warm smile.

Iruka wasn't particularly pleased at the idea of ruining his Saturday morning with a hangover, which he was sure to get if he so much as touched alcohol, but he was torn. It really had been way too long since he'd went out with his friends. At some point in the past three months he'd stopped showing up to their weekly meetups. Despite all his complaining, Iruka did miss them -- but his combined workload had taken a toll on him. He respected his friends’ need to go out every week, but he simply couldn't. 

He wondered whether if they let him be, he'd become a recluse. Maybe not in the traditional sense of the word, but he'd stop going out in bars altogether for sure. 

Grinning his most devilish smile, one he'd learned from Anko herself, Iruka nodded. “Let's get smashed,” he said, enjoying the way Anko's face lit up and her triumphant yell. 

They arrived at one of the less popular bars in town soon enough. The place was murky, still almost empty at five in the afternoon. Low, greenish light emanated from the lightbulbs lining the booths, and they seated themselves at one of them.

The group nursed beers for a while until more patrons started arriving, chatting over the happenings in their workplaces. 

“So, you know my boss Orochimaru, right?” Anko was saying with wide eyes, waiting for their affirmative nods before continuing. “Well, the guy's a nutjob. He regularly goes into the snake's den -- uh, you know, where all the snakes are?”

Iruka rolled his eyes and motioned for her to continue. 

“Yes, well, he goes there, and he takes them and pets them and coos in their ears and talks to them. And that's fine and all, but I think he uses that as like a substitute for actual human interaction. Something tells me he likes me though.”

“How long have you been at this place again?” Kotetsu asked. 

“Well, I've been working here for a while. I interned right after vet school, remember? They were mostly selling and buying exotic animals then. But then this Orochimaru guy took over and we're focusing on some snake business now. Making antivenom or some such. He's cooperating with some Kabuto guy.”

“Huh,” Izumo said and sipped his beer. 

“Anyway, enough of this boring shit. What's up at your school?” Anko asked. 

Iruka shrugged, not having much to say, but Kotetsu leaned forward, evidently having some information to share. 

“Since the beginning of the school year, me and Iruka had to sub because there were no gym teachers in the school. But now Tsunade finally hired some. And the guys are legends,” Kotetsu said, his tone rising. “One of them wears a green spandex to his classes, from what I heard today, and the other one made all the students participate in some kind of competition.”

“What kind?” Iruka asked, not mentioning he knew who the teachers were already. 

“Well, he had some bells. And he showed them to the whole class each time. He told them to get in a line, and each had one minute to steal the bells from him. Whoever succeeded in the shortest time span would win.” Kotetsu was grinning. 

“And who won?” Izumo asked. 

“No one. The guy is a ninja. There's rumors that him and the green spandex guy own a dojo together.”

Anko frowned. “Is this the most interesting story you have? Man, you teachers are boring.”

“He climbed through my window yesterday dressed like an actual ninja,” Iruka shrugged, trying for nonchalance, but Anko gaped and spluttered and then broke out into raucous laughter. “I'm not joking, before you ask,” he said, trying to keep his face straight. 

“Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! What for?” she asked. 

“I think him and Guy were playing a prank on Tsunade. He told me as much,” Iruka said before he realised how much he'd let on. Just then, his phone pinged, and he glanced at the screen, noting that Tsunade was requesting a phone call with him the following day. At least, her  _ assistant _ was. He quickly typed a confirmation. 

“Wait, you've spoken to him?” Kotetsu asked, leaning closer to Iruka, who rubbed the scar on his nose in discomfort. 

“Obviously, since the man climbed through my window to escape Guy who was chasing him.” Izumo looked faintly amused. “And I saw him at Ichiraku's later. This was yesterday,” Iruka finished. 

Anko looked thoughtful. “What does this guy look like?”

“Tall, lanky, white hair. Kinda goofy, from what I hear,” Kotetsu answered. “Now that I think about it, exactly Iruka's type,” he grinned.

Iruka flushed a deep red, putting his phone away. “That's enough,” he said, but it was already too late. Anko had latched onto the information and was now leering at him. 

“Your type, eh Iruka? How long has it been since Mizuki, a year? Year and a half?” she chuckled and downed her beer. 

“We will not talk about Mizuki,” Iruka said, gripping his beer glass harder than necessary.

“Yes we will, honey,” Anko chuckled. “So he left you. And? I think you should be quite over that douchebag by now.”

“He didn't just  _ leave _ me,” Iruka deadpanned. “He cheated on me because, I quote, ‘seeing me at the workplace constantly made him grow bored’. I don't want to make the same mistake again.”

“But this guy isn't Mizuki. You should give him a chance,” Izumo said. 

“You too, Izumo?” Iruka whined, exasperated. “Betrayal.”

Kotetsu nodded in contemplation. “I think it's time for shots.”

* * *

The sun prickled at Iruka's closed eyelids and he groaned, pulling his cover up to shield him. As expected, he woke up dizzy and disoriented. No doubt a headache would follow.

Iruka knew he had to get up soon, the smallest of reasons being his body was screaming for water. The bigger one was Tsunade's phone call, which he had no idea what to expect from. He got the memo pretty late, so it must have been something that came up later in the day.

With great effort, Iruka propped himself up, putting his feet on the floor in hopes of regaining a modicum of stability. His head was swimming. That’s what he got for letting Anko pit him against her in a drinking competition. That woman was small but deadly.

At least he could remember that nothing of note happened the previous evening. Iruka was glad his friends hadn’t somehow forced him to call Kakashi or, even worse, Mizuki, in order to make Iruka let ‘ _ all those pent up feelings _ ’ out -- Kotetsu’s words, not his. 

Iruka smiled to himself. He liked acting mad at them, but he couldn’t stay pissed off at his friends. Not  _ really _ . At worst, they’d get a good yelling with Iruka’s teacher voice. 

Despite his bodily state, Iruka was in a good mood, evident by the humming that he let slip out during his shower. He hoped it was enough to last him through whatever request Tsunade had for him now -- work was never over, but he would never complain. 

Iruka liked his job too much to do that.

When his parents had died, Iruka had realised how important his teachers were to him. They’d showed him support through that unthinkably hard period of his life, and he’d learned to treasure it even if the way he’d shown his gratitude was by pulling pranks. That precisely gave Iruka the right perspective on his current students. He would be there for them no matter what, no matter what pranks they pulled on him in the future and how tough teaching them might turn out to be. He wanted to repay that debt to the ones that had seen him through his own troubles.

Feeling a headache starting to throb, Iruka wrapped a towel around his head to soak up the water from his hair and went to the kitchen to take a painkiller and make some food.

He’d just finished eating his eggs and toast when he heard his phone ringing from the bedroom. He rushed to get it, almost tripping on the clothes he’d discarded the previous night. 

“Morning, Iruka. I’m sorry Shizune made us both wake up this early for a damn phone call. It’s barely noon,” came Tsunade’s groggy voice from the speaker.

Iruka chuckled and then winced as his head throbbed. It would take a while until the painkiller started working. “No worries, Tsunade-sama. Good morning to you too. What is it that we need to speak of?”

“Kakashi and Guy want to throw a tournament or something. They’ve been working for a day and they’re already trying to give me a brain aneurysm. So I need your help, because that brat Kakashi actually raised some good points.”

Iruka furrowed his brow. “A… tournament? What kind?”

“You should have heard by now that he made the kids try and steal some bells from him yesterday. Evidently they loved it, and Kakashi took notice. I made the mistake of complaining to Guy about our rival schools outdoing us in extracurricular activities, and that man cannot keep his mouth shut -- so here we are.”

“So, Kakashi-san wants to let the kids do the same thing again? How will that help the school in general?” Iruka asked, perplexed.

“No, the brat has come up with a big plan already. He can tell you the details, but for now I need to tell you that he’s specifically asked for your help in this. I know it might be much, especially because you were subbing for a while already, but he has a point. If we make it so that a group entry for the tournament costs some symbolic price, and say the proceedings will go to charity, that’s gonna be really good rep for us. And deal with more than just the problem of extracurriculars.”

Tsunade was right. The parents had been complaining that their children weren’t getting enough extracurricular activities to keep them busy (and exhausted) and the school association had been complaining Konoha Elementary wasn’t involved enough in raising money for good causes. Iruka had never liked that people used children and their parents to raise money only to up their social standing, but at least the money was going where people truly needed it.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” he said, not having much choice in the matter anyway. He was convinced Tsunade was going to order him if he declined. “Did Kakashi-san mention why it’s necessary for me to be involved?”

“No,” she sighed. “One can never tell with that brat.”

Iruka was lost in thoughts long after that. He was curious what Kakashi had come up with, even if slightly resentful that he now had less free time than he’d thought he would.

Maybe this would be fun. Maybe Iruka could get closer to Kakashi -- he shut that thought down.

Maybe they could have fun and get closer in a  _ strictly professional setting _ , Iruka nodded to himself.

Strictly professional. That’s how it was going to be. 


	2. Planning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who liked and commented. I know this chapter is a little short, but I highly dislike changing POV in the middle of one, so I'll make up for it in the next one. I hope you like it!
> 
> (Fair warning -- this is unbetaed!)

Uhei, Bull and Shiba were running around outside the dojo with Guy, who was doing a remarkable job at exhausting them for Kakashi. Pakkun was lazing on Kakashi’s chest while the man was laying down on the tatami inside and reading a book instead of doing any of the work he was supposed to do. 

The list of sports he would be able to coach on wasn’t going to write itself. It wouldn’t be hard -- he could do basketball, volleyball and track easily, and he wasn’t about to put golf or synchronised swimming on there so he would run into no trouble with Tsunade who would definitely approve -- but it would require  _ effort _ , Kakashi thought with an internal groan. And effort was too much to ask of him when he was lying down on that perfectly cool tatami in the perfectly cool dojo while Guy kept his dogs busy. Except for Pakkun, but Pakkun was content not doing anything as well.

On top of that, Kakashi had absolutely no idea why he’d let Guy talk him into organising a whole competition in his first week on the job. It was Kakashi’s idea, after Guy had told him about the troubles Tsunade was having, but he shouldn’t have voiced it to the man, who immediately jumped at the prospect of making both Tsunade and the kids happy. And that was all fine and good, but had anyone asked whether  _ Kakashi _ was happy with this?

He was still grumbling to himself in his head when Guy entered, peeling off his sweaty shirt and grinning at Kakashi. “My rival. I see you have not begun doing the minimal work required of you.”

“You see,” Kakashi drawled, “I was not made for this life. You should have let me be your personal secretary, Guy.”

“I would never put my rival in a position below me.”

“We are not high school rivals anymore.”

“We will forever be rivals in my heart, Kakashi.”

“Yes, yes,” Kakashi rolled his eyes. “Thanks for taking the dogs on a run.”

“The way to repay me is to stoke the fires of youthful passion! You have a competition to plan! And a sensei to charm!” Guy yelled.

Curse the gods for giving Kakashi a pale complexion because the blush heating up his face at those words was awfully visible to Guy. His friend was trying for a leering expression which, in Kakashi’s eyes, was terrifying. 

“You always assume I have ulterior motives,” Kakashi rubbed the back of his head.

“It is not an ulterior motive to follow your heart!” said Guy, pushing Kakashi toward the dojo’s exit. “Now leave, rival. My students will be arriving at once. And you have work to do.” With a wink, Guy turned his back to Kakashi and started setting the rest of the tatami on the hardwood floor.

Kakashi couldn’t help a grin, even though he was embarrassed Guy was teasing him about Iruka. He whistled and his dogs immediately followed him out, where he crouched down to put their leashes on. 

He truly hadn’t planned on climbing through Iruka’s window when he and Guy had been playing chase. Kakashi had only been hiding in the bush right outside the teacher’s window, trying to escape Guy (he would never admit it but he found Guy’s ministrations endlessly entertaining and endearing, too) when he’d noticed Iruka grading tests. 

The man had had a serene expression on his face, far different than one  _ Kakashi  _ would’ve had, Kakashi presumed, if he’d had to grade a huge stack of tests. Iruka had seemed very pleased with himself, and Kakashi had been drawn. He’d moved closer if only to get a better glimpse at the teacher’s -- very attractive, he’d realised -- features, and in his daze forgotten about Guy who’d been fast approaching. It was then that he’d decided to knock, and the rest was history.

Kakashi walked toward his apartment. It was Monday, and he had the day off. His schedule was such that he worked one hour longer Tuesday through Friday, but had an extended weekend, which was more than fine by him.  _ Tsunade knows me too well. She knew I wouldn’t pass up a three day weekend. _

As he arrived to his building, the air inside it blissfully cool, he wondered what to do with his day. After all, he needed to fill all that time he’d spend procrastinating with something.

* * *

 

_ Exhausted  _ after a day of laying down, reading porn and watching bland TV (he  _ had _ worked out for an hour while he’d watched) Kakashi decided to cook himself a nice dinner for his hard work.

His thoughts on the dinner he’d had at Ichiraku’s a few days ago, Kakashi chopped vegetables for his yaki udon absentmindedly. It was interesting that Iruka knew of the secluded little ramen stand, and even more interesting that they’d been there at the exact same time. He recalled their odd conversation and the wistful expression Iruka had had on his face before Kakashi had spoken to him.

It was true enough that the day had caused Kakashi to be in the same mood -- he’d gotten a new job, one that he might actually like, and seeing Tsunade again after so many years had brought back old memories, both bad and good.

He’d been reminded of Rin and Obito. Tsunade had known them too, being the principal of his old high school, and they’d talked about them that day. About how she’d seen Kakashi in the hospital waiting room when he’d cursed himself for leaving them at school, just when the earthquake had struck. Tsunade had blamed herself too. It had been no one's fault, and Kakashi had long since realised that. But it still didn't take the sting off. Even after more than ten years, he still missed his friends sorely.

It was peculiar to see Tsunade as someone still his superior, but this time as his boss, not his principal. Funny that she'd ended up in a principal position again, though, despite how much she'd used to say she hated it. Kakashi presumed Shizune helped a lot. 

He hadn’t lied to Iruka about Tsunade praising him -- they’d talked a lot about the man, besides reminiscing about their shared past. It had only served to spark an interest about Iruka in Kakashi that went beyond his good looks. Kakashi wanted to know where all that drive to be a great teacher came from.

The noodles for his udon were done, and he moved to turn the heater off. Shaking his head, he smiled. He'd made too much out of habit, which had been happening ever since Guy had moved out a couple of months ago. If his dogs weren't there, Kakashi would've been even lonelier in the apartment, no matter how small and stuffy it was. 

Kakashi sat eating on his table and thought about how best to explain his tournament idea to Iruka. On a whim, he'd told Tsunade that he wanted Iruka specifically to help him, and Guy had laughed for a long time when he'd heard --  _ “my rival, I see those books you read have given you many a seduction tactics, like hiding in bushes and forcing your objects of desire to work with you” _ \-- but now he didn't know what to do. 

What would be his reasoning? Kakashi chewed on the vegetables with a little more force than was probably necessary. He'd wanted to spend more time with Iruka and when the opportunity had presented itself, Kakashi had taken it. He was intrigued by Iruka, found him attractive in more ways than one -- something that hadn't happened in quite a while. That was the truth, but he wasn't crazy enough to actually say it, was he? 

* * *

Apparently, he was.

“Why did you pick me, Kakashi-san?” Iruka asked the next day. He'd come by just when Kakashi's last class had ended.

“I was practically forced into this so I'm being selfish and forcing you into it too,” Kakashi said. Talking to Iruka did weird things to him, so he didn't dwell on it too much. 

“But why me?” Iruka pressed on, his brow furrowed, and Kakashi realised he hadn't actually answered the question. 

Kakashi shrugged. Might as well be honest -- “You're cute, I want to get to know you, and if I have to spend one more hour around Guy I'll lose it. So why not, sensei?” 

Iruka bristled a little, a blush rising to his cheeks as he rubbed the scar on his nose in discomfort -- but Kakashi suspected he was also trying to hide the way his lips had curled into a satisfied half-smile, and that gave Kakashi confirmation enough that he wasn't the only one that had taken an interest. But there was something that held Iruka back, Kakashi could see that too. He just had to figure out  _ what _ . 

“Let's get to work,” Iruka said, and Kakashi curved his eyes into a smile. 

“How bossy, sensei,” Kakashi joked. “I haven't even told you of my plan yet.”

“If Tsunade-sama approved of it, it must be good.” Iruka cocked his head to the side in a gesture that reminded Kakashi of his dogs. “I'm curious about it.”

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, leaning on the training pads stacked against the wall of the big hall. This part of the school building was where he held his indoor classes -- there was a volleyball net dividing the hall, two basketball hoops at each end of it, and a small interconnected room where more pads and some tatami were stacked. The hardwood floor was slightly worn from constant abuse under schoolchildren's feet.

It was a rainy day, unusual for September, which is why they were inside instead of in the courtyard. 

Kakashi pushed himself off of the pad and sat down on one of the benches lining the side of the hall, gesturing for Iruka to do the same. “Sensei, do you have two more people you could rope into this?” he asked once Iruka sat down. 

Iruka hummed thoughtfully before shrugging. “I suppose I could tell Kotetsu and Izumo to join. What for?” 

“I was thinking of a group race. It will start in the courtyard and lead up to here,” Kakashi explained, pointing to the far right corner of the hall which was directly opposing its entrance. “The track would be filled with small obstacles, and it would be divided in four parts.”

“What do you need us for?”

“On each part, one of us would stand holding bells. The two people standing outside would hold as many bells as there are teams.” Kakashi paused, waiting for Iruka to nod in confirmation. “The third person would hold three bells, and the last one would hold only one.”

Glancing at the corner of the room, Iruka nodded again. “Whichever team gets all four bells wins?” 

“Yes,” Kakashi smiled. “This way there would be no confusion about which team is first place.”

“Don't you think that's a little too competitive, Kakashi-san?” Iruka asked, his brow furrowed. 

“Maa, Iruka-sensei. These parents will break their backs trying to sign their kids up when they find out it's for charity. They'd be able to brag that their kid won for a greater cause, don't you think?”

Iruka grimaced and then sighed. “I don't like it, but you're right. Do you have any idea what we should do about the rewards?” 

“Not yet. I think we could ask Guy, he might come up with something. He told me he would come by later today,” Kakashi said and watched the way Iruka leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The teacher's ponytail had loosened during the day, wisps of hair framing Iruka's face and making him look pleasantly ruffled. Kakashi thought about how well that Iruka would fit in Kakashi’s apartment and had to look away. 

“I suppose I should ask Kotetsu and Izumo while they're still here,” Iruka said, standing up. He looked sideways at Kakashi. “Would you like to come along?” 

* * *

Watching Iruka maneuver through the school was better than anything Kakashi had seen on his new job so far. Iruka greeted every employee with grace, having seemingly endless energy to smile, nod, and otherwise catch up with anyone whom he hadn't seen that day. 

His positive attitude made him well liked, from what Kakashi could see as they walked through the halls which were still filled with students going about their school day. They greeted Iruka and eyed Kakashi with interest, eyes passing over his white hair and lazy slouch. Kakashi knew from previous experience that such provocatively dyed hair wasn't preferred at the workplace, and affirmed to himself once more how grateful he should be to Tsunade for giving him the job…even if he actually had to  _ work _ because of it, but he supposed that came with being an adult, and he had to support his ever-growing collection of ‘Icha Icha’  _ somehow _ . 

They'd arrived in front of a classroom soon enough, and through the glass panel in the door Kakashi could glimpse a man with dark hair writing math problems on the blackboard. He was gesturing at his students as the bell rung signifying the end of the class. Iruka and Kakashi moved away from the door as students started spilling out of it. Once the throng had loosened up, Iruka led the way inside.

“Hey, Kotetsu,” Iruka greeted. Kotetsu was supporting himself on the desk with his hip, looking tired, but his lips had stretched into a grin the moment Iruka had walked in the classroom. 

“The famed Iruka-sensei left his classroom of his own accord?” Kotetsu's tone was light and playful. Kakashi liked the man already. 

“It's about work,” Iruka said and Kotetsu sighed. 

“Of course it is, Iruka. Why did I ever think otherwise?” Kotetsu said in mock exasperation. That's when he noticed Kakashi, who'd been leaning on the doorframe behind Iruka. “Oh, who's this? Are you Kakashi Hatake, the new P.E. teacher?” 

Kakashi was not very surprised Kotetsu had known his name. White hair was hard to miss or resist gossiping about. He smiled with his eyes at the man and hummed in agreement. 

“Very nice to meet you, Kakashi-san,” Kotetsu said, moving toward Kakashi and stretching his hand out for a handshake. Kakashi accepted and gave the man a half-hearted squeeze, which seemed to be enough for the math teacher who now grinned at Kakashi as if they were best friends. “What brings you two here?” 

“Kakashi-san had an idea for a tournament we could throw…” Iruka paused, glancing at Kakashi. “... _ when  _ would the tournament happen?” 

“Next Sunday?” Kakashi felt that would be best, given that they'd need to sort everything out with Tsunade (or Shizune, if he was being honest) and the charity they'd be giving the money they would raise to. He told Iruka and Kotetsu as much. “We'd need to put up notices and leave a registration period open, which would be this week,” he concluded. 

“Sounds great, but what's in it for me?” Kotetsu asked. 

Iruka chuckled. “You'll get to spend quality time with me and Izumo?” 

Kotetsu scoffed. “As if I don't see enough of Izumo already,” he said, but Kakashi didn't miss the fond look on the man's face. Their group dynamic was interesting. 

_ It will be fun to watch them during the planning and execution of this mess. Maybe I could ask Kotetsu about Iruka… _

Iruka explained Kakashi’s idea to Kotetsu and the man agreed to participate as well as ask Izumo to join in, but not before making Iruka promise he'd show up to their weekly meetings without having to be coerced anymore. 

As they left Kotetsu and walked to Iruka's classroom, Kakashi pondered on this. “Sensei, do you not see your friends often? You'd think, since you're in the same workplace, Kotetsu-san wouldn't pester you as much?”

Iruka turned to look at Kakashi and then shrugged. “I was very busy, teaching geography full time and being a substitute gym teacher as well. You and Guy-san being here will take a load off my shoulders.”

“If you're a geography teacher, how are you qualified to substitute for physical education?” Kakashi asked and followed Iruka inside the empty classroom. 

He hadn't had the chance to look at it when he first saw the room, but now he could notice various maps and children's drawings stuck on the walls, papers strewn across Iruka's desk, and when he moved closer to inspect the photo frames that were on the desk as well, Kakashi noticed they were all group photos of Iruka and the classes he'd taught over the years. There were only four. Iruka hadn't been a teacher for too long. 

“I took it as a minor in university. I was one of the few who did, along with Kotetsu, because it's quite unusual. Mostly everyone else who majored in geography took some language or geology as a minor.”

Kakashi hummed. “It drew you in?” 

“No, it's just that sitting still for too long gets me antsy,” Iruka chuckled and seemed bashful. “That was a good way to deal with it.”

“And now?” Kakashi asked. 

“What now?” Iruka retorted, seemingly lost in thought as he stared at Kakashi's face. 

“How do you deal with it now?” Kakashi grinned. “Do I have something on my face, Iruka-sensei?” he added as an afterthought. 

“What? No--” Iruka blushed, looking away. “I just got distracted, sorry.” Kakashi hummed and the blush spread to the tips of Iruka's ears. The red blended in nicely with Iruka's tan, Kakashi thought to himself. “Ah, dealing with so many children who seem to have endless supplies of energy seems to do the trick nowadays. When I get off from work all I want to do is lie down in bed and only get up after a year has passed!” Iruka exclaimed. 

Kakashi nodded. “I know that feeling all too well, sensei.”

“How about you, Kakashi-san? How did you come to be a gym teacher?”

“Maa, ironically, physical activity is the only thing I'm really good at,” Kakashi said. “All types of it,” he added in a lowered tone, loving the way Iruka's eyes widened. 

“Ka--”, he huffed, “Kakashi-san! Please refrain from saying such things…” He looked at Kakashi from below his eyelashes, having lowered his head in embarrassment. “...not in the workplace, at least!”

“Oh?” Kakashi grinned. “So you'd allow me to say them outside of the school? My, Iruka-sensei, we should arrange a meeting this instant.”

“We have work to do…” Iruka seemed torn. “We have work to do,” he affirmed, his tone set. “Didn't you say Guy-san would come by later today? We could go talk to Shizune first, and then see if he's here.” 

“Lead the way, sensei,” Kakashi said, smiling gently. He was a gentleman, sure, but he wasn't above stealing glimpses at Iruka's ass either. This was the _perfect_ opportunity to do so, and Kakashi had never been one for letting opportunities slip past him. 


	3. Curiosity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came to life, took over my arms, wrote itself, and all I could do was helplessly update the rating. Hope you enjoy.

It had been three days since they’d started planning the upcoming competition, and Iruka had found himself thoroughly distracted the whole time. He couldn’t take his eyes or mind off Kakashi -- whether they were next to each other, in their respective classes or off work, Iruka either stared at the man or thought about him. There was no denying his attraction at this point, and it must have been apparent to his friends too, because they were all wearing shit-eating grins when he came back from his kitchen with a bottle in hand.

“What is it?” he said, his tone amused but taking on an exasperated edge. He refilled Izumo, Kotetsu and Anko’s cups and settled back on an armchair with his own. Kotetsu and Izumo were slouched on the sofa in Iruka’s apartment while Anko was sitting in another armchair opposite them. It was a pleasantly cool Friday evening, and they’d gathered at Iruka’s place instead of a bar for dinner and drinks. After they’d finished their dinner, whose preparation had been a collective effort not to burn the whole building down, they’d moved to the living room with sake in hand. There were cups on the coffee table and a suspiciously wet magazine which Iruka eyed with interest. It hadn’t been like that when he’d left to get another bottle.

“Izumo here told me about how much time you’ve been spending with your loverboy,” Anko said.

“I did,” Izumo confirmed. “You are blatantly obvious. You keep staring at him and then pretending you weren’t when he catches your eye.”

“I am  _ not _ blatantly obvious,” Iruka interjected.

“You are, my poor Iruka. If only you stopped denying yourself the simple pleasures of life, we’d all be happier,” Kotetsu chimed in. “It’s come down to that. The guy is pretty much whipped for you too, so you have no other excuse.”

“What makes you say that?” Iruka asked. “Besides, I do have another excuse. He’s a coworker.”

“Okay, I’ll stop you right there -- we established  _ early on _ , when Orochimaru became my boss, that we all have crazy bosses. Your Tsunade lady hired this Kakashi guy even though he has white hair, just like Mizuki, so she’s dealt with questionable office politics already. She doesn’t care. And don’t you dare say ‘look how the thing with Mizuki went’ -- we’ve been over this more times than I can count,” Anko said in one breath. “So. Your boss is no problem, I will personally beat you up if you mention Mizuki again unless it’s to say you’re over him, now what else is there?”

Iruka glared at her. “I  _ am  _ over him.”

“Then prove it!”

Kotetsu laughed and sprawled on the sofa, putting an arm around Izumo’s shoulders. “What Anko said -- plus, it's a bit obvious that Tsunade tolerates relationships in the workplace…” he said, leering at Izumo. “Also, Kakashi does the same thing you do, and it’s…  _ odd _ ,” he said.

“Odd how?” Iruka was curious, despite his best efforts to curb his interest.

“It’s like, he stares at your ass with this dirty look, but then he glimpses your face and it softens and becomes all mushy… like he would like to take you to dinner first and talk for hours before tapping that, you know,” Kotetsu nodded.

Anko cackled. “Iruka, you better snag this guy. If he’s even slightly like the image I have of him in my head, I’ll start planning your wedding this instant.”

“You  _ do _ need a good conversation, a good fuck and a good cuddle afterward, Iruka,” Izumo said, grinning. It was a bit scary, and it was what finally convinced Iruka to confirm to his friends that  _ yes _ , he  _ was _ inexplicably and uncontrollably attracted to his new coworker. Much to his chagrin.

He rolled his eyes, slumping backward and covering his face with the drink in a vain attempt to hide his rising blush. “Yes, I like him, alright? He’s hot as shit and when I saw the way he has fun in his classes I developed a crush, I think…” he trailed off. “And now this competition!”

“How’s that going, by the way?” Anko asked.

“Oh, yeah, I wanted to talk to you about it, Iruka,” Kotetsu said. “Izumo and I put up the flyers, like you asked, and we left some over in the waiting room.”

“Great. Thanks, guys,” Iruka smiled. “It’s going well,” he said, turning to Anko. “Kakashi-san has the logistics down, and I’ve been corresponding with the principal’s assistant to figure out the rewards and also where the money we raise will go to. I think to the orphanage where a couple of our students are from.”

“You call him Kakashi- _ san _ while he’s not here?” Anko snorted.

Iruka blushed more and ducked his head, hiding even further behind his glass.

“Anyway, cool thing. What are you going to give the kids?”   


“It’s cheesy but I think the main prize will be backpacks. One of those with the ninjas that are popular right now,” Izumo answered. Iruka continued hiding behind his glass and pointedly not looking at Anko.

“And the rest?”

“Themed t-shirts for the second and third groups. I think they’re going to be dark green and say ‘ _ WE ROCK _ ’, courtesy of Guy... Participation certificates for the rest, and one of the students had the idea to make flower crowns.”

“Oh, was that Ino?” Iruka asked.

Izumo chuckled. “No, it was Sakura. I think they’ve teamed up, to my surprise. Sakura had the idea and Ino offered to help her, knowing her family business.”

Iruka smiled. The competition was shaping up to be a bit bigger than he’d originally anticipated, Kakashi and Guy -- but mostly Guy -- having swept everyone up in their enthusiasm to make it happen. Kakashi was mostly a steady presence around Iruka when he flitted around the school talking to Shizune and taking phone calls, and Iruka was sometimes there when Kakashi sketched the track in chalk on the ground, planning the obstacle course with Guy and watching them gesture comically with their arms. Despite how nonchalant the man looked, Iruka had found that Kakashi was surprisingly invested in seeing the project to its end properly. Iruka admired that and begrudgingly admitted to himself that he wanted to peel off the layers that surrounded Kakashi and get to know the man better.

Something in Iruka fluttered when he thought about Kakashi, and it had fluttered a lot when Izumo and Kotetsu told Iruka about the way Kakashi returned Iruka’s secretive gazes with equal fervor -- maybe with even bigger intensity, because he wasn’t trying to be subtle about it. Iruka had thought he’d made it clear that he wasn’t interested in the beginning, but he’d never outright refused the man’s advances… and he was starting to be glad he hadn’t, because he’d forgotten how good it felt being on the receiving end of someone’s affections.

It was a bit like having a middle school crush. Except that they were both teachers, and the implication behind their gazes was a lot less innocent and a lot more heated than what middle schoolers were capable of.

Iruka let himself think about Kakashi, his mind floating on a sea of jelly caused by the alcohol, and his thoughts drifted. That silver hair which looked impossibly soft -- after what Iruka suspected had been rigorous bleaching -- suggested Kakashi took good care of it, and by extension his hygiene too. Iruka wanted to lean into Kakashi’s space, right in the crook of his neck, and catch a whiff of the man’s scent… would it be minty fresh, citrusy, or something deeper, muskier?

His friends continued talking around him, but Iruka was submerged in his rapidly forming fantasy. He would lean in close to Kakashi, take a deep breath… feel more than hear the way Kakashi’s breath would hitch at the proximity, feel the strong hands that would wrap around Iruka’s middle, flushing him close. He’d wrap his arms around Kakashi’s neck and move them downward, grazing over his lean but muscled back, feeling the power there, the tightness like a coiled spring -- the power with which Iruka would easily be pinned backward to the wall, trapped between Kakashi’s arms, while the man’s mouth lapped at Iruka’s sensitive neck.

“ _ Fuck, _ ” he articulated, adjusting his trousers. He blinked and touched his flushed face. Thankfully he could blame it on the drink and not his incredibly vivid imaginings of what him and Kakashi could (--  _ would _ , his brain unhelpfully supplied) get up to.

“What is it, Iru-kun? The alcohol catching up with you?” Anko cooed with a devilish grin.

“Something like that.  _ Fuck,  _ I have it bad.”

“I think he’s not talking about the sake,” Izumo chuckled.

“No, he isn't. What dreamland were you in, Iruka? Someplace with your new favorite coworker?” Kotetsu leaned forward and poked Iruka in the side, who yelped and spilled a little of his leftover sake on himself.

“Laugh, laugh all you want. You'll see whether I tell you anything ever again.”

“Oh, but you will,” Anko said. “We'll force it out of you!”

Izumo took pity on flustered Iruka, who was still having a hard time gathering his wits thanks to his daydream and his tipsiness. “Leave him alone, guys. I think it's time we headed home.”

“ _ What _ ? This soon?” Kotetsu grumbled, but stood up nonetheless.

“Yes, this soon. I'm tired from running around all day, I don't know how you still have energy.”

As if on cue, Kotetsu yawned, and that caused a chain reaction of varying degrees until Iruka downed his cup, slammed it on the table and bolted up, swaying slightly. “Alright, out! I want to sleep.”

Anko got up and pulled Iruka into a hug so tight that he almost started squeaking under the force of it, but she let him go soon enough. He smiled at her, and she whacked the side of his head. “Get your shit together. You've been moping around for too long,” she said, oddly serious.

Rubbing the scar on his nose, Iruka nodded. “Sure, Anko.”

“You better,” she warned and went to grab her jacket. “Come on guys, we better hit the road. It will take me like half an hour to walk home.”

With answering grumbles and grunts of goodbye, Kotetsu and Izumo followed her out and the front door clicked shut, leaving Iruka in the sudden and deafening silence of his apartment. His heart was beating hard. He could feel blood thrumming through his extremities, he was hypersensitive to the feel of his shirt sticking to his skin where he’d spilled sake earlier, and the previously pleasant cool air stuffed him full until he clawed at the garment, shrugging it off to the sofa opposite him.

After turning off the light, which was only contributing to his high-strung state, Iruka collapsed, closing his eyes and leaning his head backward on the headrest. Now he could feel the material of the armchair cover indenting his back, every point of contact a burning fire that surged through his veins. The realization that he was still half-hard washed over him, and he glanced downward where his legs were spread.

Might as well, Iruka thought to himself.

He closed his eyes again and before long his hand was on his neck, moving slowly down his torso. Iruka wasn’t in his living room anymore -- he was back in the fantasy, where Kakashi was tantalizingly holding Iruka in a gentle but firm press against the wall.

His hand made its way to his nipple and he tugged gently, imagining it was Kakashi’s pale hand, imagining the contrast of their skin tones. Would Kakashi’s hand be cool, soothing Iruka’s sizzling skin, or would the point of contact only feed the feverish temperature overtaking their bodies? A helpless breath escaped Iruka’s lips, and he shifted his legs wider, sliding down until his knees bumped the coffee table.

With shaking hands he unbuttoned his jeans and palmed his hardening cock. It had been a while since he’d taken the time to pleasure himself, jerking off being none of his priorities when swamped up to the neck with work -- he’d had no inspiration, either, but Kakashi was proving to be a wonderfully effective muse.

Back in his fantasy, Iruka would arch his back off the wall, slotting his thigh between Kakashi’s, rutting against the man’s crotch. He’d revel in the gasps Kakashi made against Iruka’s skin -- were they low, rumbling, or needy and high-pitched, he wondered, as he rubbed himself through the fabric of his boxers.

Iruka would push back, using Kakashi’s distraction to gain leverage and trap him against the wall, reversing their positions. He’d run his hand over Kakashi’s lips and jaw before latching his mouth onto the places he’d traced, kissing and leaving purplish marks on the pale skin while his hand would work down, down, down, until it reached Kakashi’s belt and tugged impatiently at it.

In reality, Iruka’s hand brushed against the waistband of his boxers, feeling the hair on his lower belly, and he pressed against his abdomen. If his skin had burned before, it was molten now, lava spilling through his fingers. He was panting, breath short and hitched as he imagined the way Kakashi would feel against his hand, as hard as Iruka was, cock straining against the fabric and precum obvious by an embarrassing wet splotch, betraying eagerness.

He managed to ground himself enough to shimmy out of his jeans and pull his boxers down, and his cock sprung up, flushed and already leaking. Iruka moaned wantonly, and he would have been embarrassed by it had it not been for the alcohol clouding his reasoning.

Getting a good, firm grip on himself, Iruka squeezed, biting his lip to keep from crying out. Somehow in the span of five minutes he'd worked himself up so much that he was certain any more stimulation would have him coming undone on the spot. But he wanted to draw it out, wanted to feel the way his body buzzed with need and alcohol for a moment longer; with enormous effort, Iruka managed to still himself and not pump into his hand.

His cock twitched when he thought about Kakashi witnessing him in this state.

After what felt like an eternity hovering over the precipice of an impending orgasm, Iruka finally felt like he could move his hand a little without losing it. Relief flooded his senses as he jerked himself slowly, relieving the pressure he felt, all the while images of Kakashi -- the two of them -- circled through his head and left him aching, wanting. Kakashi's hand on his cock; Iruka's mouth on Kakashi; hands in mouths and strings of saliva stretching between them, wet, sticky and messy. Iruka lost himself, drowned in the dual sensation of his hand around his cock and the vivid imagery his mind was coming up with.

Soon he was pushing up against his hand, movements becoming frantic. Through the haze he remembered where he was, what he was doing, and in a flash of sobriety leaned forward to grab the magazine on the table. He placed it on his thighs, hunching over it and panting as he picked up speed again.

As Iruka neared his orgasm, there was nothing in his head other than Kakashi -- Kakashi's hair; Kakashi's eyes, leering, inviting; his skin; those pale, thin lips curved into a sinful smirk, the enticing beauty mark below them; Kakashi's legs and firm backside when he leaned down -- only Kakashi, Kakashi,  _ Kakashi _ \--

And Iruka was coming, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.

The force of it shook him and took him by surprise. Iruka's chest heaved, and he leaned backward, resting a forearm on his forehead while he attempted to still the staccato of his heartbeat. He was dizzy, alcohol and the heady rush of his orgasm muddling his head. Tiredness washed over him in a sudden wave, and Iruka struggled to keep his eyes open.

He should throw away the magazine. He should take a shower, wash the grime and cigarette smell and cooling sweat off his skin -- but he was so tired his eyes were slipping shut, darkness getting even darker as sleep wrapped its tendrils around him.

Iruka barely managed to tuck himself back in his boxers before he fell sound asleep.

* * *

 

In the harsh morning light spilling through the living room curtains, it was hard for Iruka not to blush when he recalled what he'd done the night before.

His fantasy came back to him, and he stifled the way his body wanted to react to it by letting himself feel the embarrassment of having masturbated to Kakashi smack dab in the living room --  _ oh god, I jerked off to Kakashi, and it was possibly the best orgasm I've ever had _ .

Even if Iruka had somehow managed to forget, there was the sake and cum stained magazine laying on the coffee table. A shameful reminder of what he'd done that had Iruka coloring red, throwing it in the trash and stomping toward the shower, but despite the weird lurch his stomach gave when recalling his daydream, Iruka still couldn't get himself to regret it.

He wasn't embarrassed of his fantasy, not particularly. He'd mulled over it enough by then, both alone and with his friends, and their insistence helped him come to terms with his attraction to Kakashi. What Iruka was embarrassed of was the fact that he'd come in his pants in the middle of the living room, after touching himself for only five minutes -- he wasn't a middle schooler, goddamnit, crushes and his overexcited dick notwithstanding.

It was a small miracle that his head didn't hurt, Iruka thought while scrubbing his body in the shower, maybe because he'd sweated the alcohol out and had had dinner and enough water beforehand. He let the warm water relax his stiff back and neck, which had cramped because he'd fallen asleep on the armchair.

It was Saturday morning; he'd have to go grocery shopping as well as finally start making the study plan for the following week. Usually he'd already have finished it, but running around organising a competition left Iruka exhausted when he came home from work. Maybe he'd even be able to squeeze cleaning the apartment somewhere in there before laziness took over him and he ended up sprawled on his balcony while the setting sun caressed him gently… the thought was tempting even before he'd done any of the work he was supposed to do.

Iruka got out of the shower and took a deep breath. He  _ really _ needed to air the place out; it smelled faintly of sweat and alcohol.

He dressed in comfortable clothes, soft navy sweatpants and a white tee that was slightly thin with wear, then tied his hair in a loose ponytail. Iruka left the windows open when he left the apartment, grabbing his wallet and locking the door behind him.

The morning was bright and cheerful, and Iruka found himself moved with the thrum of life around him. He walked through the streets and observed families getting ready for outings in nature, groups of children playing football and listened to their cries of outrage and excitement, of pain when they scraped their knees and their contrasting whoops of triumph. When he let himself feel it all, he realized with a settled acceptance that he was just going to have to face some inevitable facts of life.

In life's gentle ebb and flow, sometimes people get hurt -- and Mizuki had hurt Iruka.

He’d hit Iruka right where it hurt the most. For so long, Iruka had struggled with feeling accepted, with fitting in in a world where no one looked as alone as Iruka felt after he had been stripped of the people around him. Mizuki had accepted Iruka -- or that’s what Iruka had thought -- he had made Iruka feel less isolated for the first time after an eternity of soul-crushing loneliness. And they’d stayed together, life taking them in the same direction of teaching; they’d even ended up working in the same school.

That’s when it had gone downhill. Iruka suspected it wasn’t the fact that Mizuki got bored of him that caused the desolation of their relationship, but the simple truth of Iruka being a better teacher than Mizuki. That's when Mizuki had lashed out and cheated on Iruka. The puzzle pieces fit: an envious and resentful man would never be a good teacher to children, he’d never be able to understand them and support them selflessly like Iruka was known to do -- Iruka had been bound to excel. After that, Iruka left Mizuki in the dirt without looking back, even if the prospect of being alone again had felt more painful in that moment than Mizuki's betrayal itself.

Iruka hadn’t told his friends yet why he was so reluctant to open up to another relationship, though. They thought his wound ran much shallower, a simple fear that he would get cheated on again. But more than that, it was the terror that gripped Iruka’s heart when he thought about opening himself up again and making himself vulnerable to closeness; after he’d been alone for a year, he was finally starting to feel like the loneliness wasn’t gripping and clawing at his throat, like the wound Mizuki had reopened had finally started closing again. He didn’t want to give that fortitude up, but meeting Kakashi had begun thawing the ice around his heart.

In retrospect, Kakashi had entered Iruka’s life just when he was starting to feel like he could maybe give relationships another shot. Beyond learning how to function on his own again, Iruka missed the physical aspect of having a relationship. Just when he’d started feeling like he could finally meet someone and try something with them, Kakashi had come and set Iruka ablaze: turned him upside down and shook him until Iruka finally admitted that he was in need of a good conversation, a good fuck and a good cuddle, just as Izumo had said.

Iruka grinned to himself. It was like Kakashi’s arrival had been orchestrated by divine intervention in divine timing… or maybe that was just Tsunade. He remembered Kakashi's offhand offer for another dinner -- maybe he could make use of it, Iruka thought, suddenly feeling excited about seeing Kakashi again. He was still running on a dopamine high from his activities the previous night.

While he was picking out apples from the fruits section in the grocery store, a hand clasped Iruka's shoulder and startled him into dropping one.

“Iruka-sensei! What a pleasure seeing you here on this fine sparkling morning!”

Iruka jolted and moved out of the person's grasp, and for a drawn-out second he wondered what he was looking at when he realized Guy was already picking up the apple Iruka had dropped and giving it back with a wide grin on his face.

“Ah, Guy-san… Pleasure to see you too.”

“And just when I was thinking of you! This is perfect timing, Iruka-sensei. I am sorry for startling you.”

“No, no, don't worry about that, it's more than alright.” Iruka stammered out, awkwardness washing over him. He was unsure how to act around Guy, who exuded such boisterous confidence that Iruka felt himself paling in comparison. The man radiated energy and Iruka was at a loss as to how to match it; luckily, Guy seemed more than happy to make up for it.

“From the depths of my heart,” Guy said, gesturing for Iruka to continue walking around the store, “I hope Kakashi and I have not inconvenienced you with this competition we're planning.”

“Not at all,” Iruka said after a pause. “I admit it felt like a burden a week ago, but I've grown accustomed to it now. In fact, I'm looking forward to it.”

“I am very glad! There are few men as noble as you are, to have taken up such a chore at such short notice.”

“Ah, I wouldn't exactly call myself noble…” Iruka blushed and rubbed the scar on his nose.

“Nonsense, Iruka-san! Why, you are humble as well!” Guy's loud voice was booming through the mostly empty grocery store. Iruka noticed the cashier glancing toward them and smiling fondly.

“I heard you've designed tees for the competition,” Iruka said.

Guy's grin widened. “Yes! And I have big sizes for us too! Thank you for reminding me, I shall give you one at the earliest convenience.”

“That's really not necessary, you don't have to go out of your way--”

“What do you mean, go out of my way? I am thrilled to present you with one! We must be unified in our uniforms! The referee body must show cohesion and help birth a team spirit with the utmost vigor, we must inspire the youthful drive that will help everyone strive to win! We must set an example!” Guy was saying passionately while Iruka was half-listening, nodding and inspecting the frozen fish -- which could he cook, he wondered, with minimum effort? -- before he came back to reality and picked up on what Guy was saying next to him.

“-- to show that we, as teachers, are also enthralled to witness the competitive atmosphere of our blossoming youth! Do you not agree, Iruka-sensei?”

“Of course. I hadn't considered that aspect of it,” Iruka smiled tightly. In his mind, he was calling up and going through every single thing he'd read on social etiquette in his years as a teacher and was still failing to come up with a maneuver that could help him handle Guy's endless energy. Thoroughly unused to being so overwhelmed in a conversation, Iruka grasped at straws to come up with a subject he'd be able to converse with Guy about. Iruka didn't want it to seem as if he was trying to avoid talking to Guy, because he wasn't -- he truly wanted to get to know Kakashi's friend -- but it was proving slightly more difficult than he'd anticipated. Finally managing to find a topic, Iruka turned fully toward the man.

“Guy-san. Kakashi-san has mentioned that you run a taijutsu dojo. What's that like?”

“Oh, thank you for asking! In this day and age, not many are interested in the fine art of taijutsu. They wish to master their mind without mastering the body,” Guy said. “My students and I find that in order to achieve that kind of mastery, we need to govern our bodies first.”

“Do you have many students?”

“Not too many. Currently, I teach around fifteen youngsters, helping them smoothe and direct the fiery strength of their passion into something productive! During the school breaks, I have more students, but while they're at school, I find myself growing restless.”

It was a feeling Iruka knew all too well. “Is that why you came to teach at Konoha Elementary?” he asked, intrigued.

“Absolutely. It brings light to my own spirit when I work with children. I simply felt I was not doing enough.” Guy paused, thoughtfully rubbing the handle of the bag he was using to stock up on vegetables. “I also wanted to accompany Kakashi. He was not going to come teach alone.”

Iruka furrowed his brow. “Why wouldn't he?”

Guy seemed to be torn, but in the end decided on speaking. “Kakashi is…particular,” he conceded. “It took a long time for him to regain footing after losing many people dear to him…it pained me greatly to see my eternal rival so thoroughly crushed -- his spirit, withering! But we had always been physically active, him and I, and I encouraged him to follow his way and fulfill his youth by doing something he'd enjoy. He had been helping me out in the dojo on the breaks, but he needed to do something else too. And when we finished the course on physical education, I encouraged him to take the job Tsunade-sama offered!”

“He wouldn't come alone, though?”

“I had to engage myself thoroughly to convince him, so here I am. Yet I do not regret it,” Guy nodded with a grin, and Iruka found his lips stretching in an answering smile. “I have not seen my rival so engrossed in something as he is in planning this competition in a long time -- and I must admit, Iruka-san, you have made his spirit burn even brighter!”

If his conversation with Kotetsu and Izumo the previous night hadn't happened, Iruka might have glossed over Guy's last comment; however, he took note of it now. “Oh, I have?” he asked, feigning nonchalance, even though he felt like he was buzzing. The thought of him having any effect on Kakashi, let alone a very positive one, made Iruka giddier than he'd have liked to admit.

“Of course! When his gaze rests upon you, his eyes light up with desire: from the moment he first saw you, you had captured his attention, Iruka-sensei, you--”

Iruka was blushing thoroughly and was already speeding away from Guy in embarrassment, who soon noticed Iruka's discomfort. “I am sorry if I have offended you, Iruka-san,” he said, his voice low and his tone a stark contrast to how it had been so far.

“You have not… I was simply taken by surprise,” Iruka sighed. He really hadn't expected a full report, and considering how frayed at the edges he felt when it came to Kakashi, having Guy confirm Kakashi was interested came like a full-on blow to Iruka's gut.

“Good. It will sadden me to have put out the fire that burns within you too,” Guy said with a knowing look before it dissipated back into a grin. “I must take my leave now! But before I do so -- would you care to join me for a run tomorrow morning? We must discuss the tournament and also keep our bodies in shape so that we stay invigorated!”

Iruka considered this for a moment before nodding. “That's a good idea.”

“Meet me here, then, at seven! I look forward to it!” Guy exclaimed and jogged toward the cashier, who immediately engaged in conversation with him while he paid for his items.

The man was peculiar, and so was Kakashi, Iruka mused. It had been a while since anything exciting had happened in Iruka's life, and after having known Kakashi and Guy for only a week, he welcomed it with open arms.

As he went on with his day, his thoughts stayed on Kakashi -- not lewd ones, even though his mind wanted to stray in that direction more than once -- and slowly but surely, Iruka was piecing together the puzzle pieces that made up Kakashi. He was glad Guy approved of the budding attraction between him and Kakashi, and grateful he'd been trusted enough to hear at least part of Kakashi's story. Anything more, though, Iruka wanted to learn from Kakashi himself.

Maybe it was what Guy had said that triggered something in Iruka, that helped him glimpse past the playful facade Kakashi put up for the rest of the world that strengthened Iruka's resolve. Anko was right; he'd been moping around for way too long.

_ Time for action. I hope my flirting skills haven't gotten too rusty _ . 


End file.
